Henry takes players` prize
Ruud van Nistelrooy, Teddy Sheringham and Roy Keane were the previous three winners of the prize, but the gong will be staying in London after the Arsenal ace was given the award by his peers.
The former Monaco man took the trophy at the Grosvenor House Hotel, at the 30th year of the awards.
Henry has been a key figure for The Gunners all season, netting 32 goals in all competitions, and his consistency clearly caught the eye.
The French maestro beat off competition from the likes of Alan Shearer, Paul Scholes, Gianfranco Zola, James Beattie and van Nistelrooy to lift the prize.
After receiving the award, a delighted Henry said: "This means a lot to me because the other players have voted for me. They all know better than anyone else because they play against me and they must have noticed something, so I'm happy they have noticed something.
"There were some great names on the shortlist and some equally good ones not on it.
"It's never easy when you come from another country to get people to like you but, at the end of the day, the most important thing is football, no matter which country you are from. We are all trying to play the same and to do well on the pitch, so nationality doesn't really matter."
Newcastle United`s talented midfielder Jermaine Jenas took the Young Player award, beating off competition from Everton wonder-kid Wayne Rooney.
Jenas was brought from Nottingham Forest as a player for the future, but his efforts prompted Sir Bobby Robson to thrust him into the first-team, and the youngster responded with a string of impressive performances.
